Monday, September 19, 2022

Double Jubilee!

Emil Zatopek (19 September 1922 – 21 November 2000)

Dana Zátopková (19 September 1922 – 13 March 2020)

As the fine incorruptible gentlemen of the International Olympic Comitee would not allow to embed this video, here the link:

Emil Zátopek Wins 5,000m, 10,000m & Marathon Gold - Helsinki 1952 Olympics

And here's a fine article about Emil Zatopek and Dana Zatopkova: how a husband-and-wife team won four Olympic gold medals at the 1952 Games.

Saturday, September 10, 2022

Saturday, September 03, 2022

Saturday Night Music – Itzhak Perlman

 Itzhak Perlman * 31 August 1945

Plumbees

No rain.
Plums fall by the thousands from the trees.
What saddens us delights the bees.


Friday, August 26, 2022

Beers & Books CCXXXIV – Franz Werfel

Pale Blue Ink in a Lady's Hand

Franz Werfel (10 September 1890 – 26 August 1945)

Wednesday, August 24, 2022

Ils ont voté




Léo Ferré (24 August 1916 – 14 July 1993)

Wednesday, August 17, 2022

Beers & Books CCXXXIII – Jean-Jacques Sempé

For Booklovers

I envy you ...
Like you, I would have liked to write a book ...
Just the feeling of standing out from the crowd ...

Jean-Jacques Sempé (17 August 1932 – 11 August 2022)

Monday, August 15, 2022

Monday, August 01, 2022

August beginning


Once again I feel relieved
that Fortune favours fools,
or as a German saying goes,
"Die dümmsten Bauern
ernten die größten Kartoffeln."
/
"The dumbest farmers
harvest the biggest potatoes".


Sometimes a saying
can be a great comfort.

Sunday, July 31, 2022

Ach, Croagh Patrick!

In a few minutes it will be August. And only a few minutes ago I became aware of it is the last Sunday in July. Phew. 37 years ago on such a Sunday I climbed Croagh Patrick on my bare feet, one week after this agnostic had "made" Station Island, and thus kept a second promise I had given to myself. Lovely remembrance.






Croagh Patrick

St. Patrick's Purgatory

Station Island

Saturday, July 23, 2022

Wednesday, July 20, 2022

Beers & Books CCXXXI – Alistair MacLeod

I like to think
that I am telling a story rather than writing it.


Alistair MacLeod (20 July 1936 – 20 April 2014)

Tuesday, July 19, 2022

Beers & Books CCXXX – Laurent Binet

Civilizations
*
“What would you do if you ruled the world?”
The gigolo replied that he would abolish all laws.
Barthes said: “Even grammar?”

Laurent Binet * 19 July 1972